S-1302.1  _______________________________________________

              SUBSTITUTE SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8200

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State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Senators McCaslin and Roach)

Read first time 02/09/1999.

Requiring superior court judges to be admitted to the practice of law for a minimum of five years.

    BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

    THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article IV, section 17 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

    Article IV, section 17.  ((No)) A person ((shall be)) is not eligible to hold the office of ((judge)) justice of the supreme court((, or judge of a superior court,)) unless he ((shall have been)) or she is admitted to the practice of law in the courts of record of this state((, or of the Territory of Washington)).  A person is not eligible to hold the office of judge of a superior court unless he or she has been admitted to the practice of law in the courts of record of this state not less than five years prior to taking office.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.

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